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Sunday, September 2

Euro-Mid observer slams Israel for attacking Gaza fishermen

Sunday, September 02, 2012
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GENEVA, (PIC)-- The Euro-Mid observer for human rights strongly denounced the Israeli navy for attacking Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Gaza and deliberately exposing the lives of fishermen to danger. Euro-Mid Observer for Human Rights has distributed a video recording captured by a journalist working for Media Town. The Video shows two Israeli warships chasing five Palestinian fishing boats in the Gazan waters. The footage was recorded at 10:30 Tuesday morning, August 28.Euro-Mid condemned the ruthless attack of the Israeli warships which directly endangered the lives of Palestinian fishermen. It also warned that the absence of international monitoring and deterrence would encourage more such barbarous practices.Euro-Mid considered the attack one of the many systematic practices used by Israel to destroy the fishing sector in the Gaza Strip, a sector that sustains more than 70,000 residents in Gaza which suffers from high rates of unemployment and poverty due to the siege.Euro-Mid noted the attack occurred within the three nautical miles limit set previously by the Israeli regime. The fishing boats shown in the video, in fact, were chased at a distance of less than two nautical miles from shore which is an evident violation of international law and Israel's own law.A detailed report by Euro-Mid issued last May concluded that the Israeli occupation authorities did not only limit the permissible fishing zone, but also intended to prevent a great number of fishermen, about 3600, from practicing their own trade freely and safely, even within the permissible miles.Its report documented an estimated number of 150 violations per year committed by Israel against Gaza fishermen including arbitrary arrests and shootings, in addition to capsizing, vandalizing, and confiscating fishing boats.